AN: Sorry for the delay. This chapter is entirely political in nature. Don't complain to me I didn't warn you but this is sort of essential for the type of world that Earth becomes after WW2. I know this is boring some of you but bear with me or don't. Your choice.
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India 1922
Ashwathama now largely known by the name of Indrajith Rao was leading an army of 5000 men and even some women to Dodamarg as he had received reports of British army gathering there for a push into Goa. He had expected the British Empire to make a play for Goa but he was expecting their attack after he had managed to expel the Portuguese from the mainland. The British must have realised the danger that he posed as his war for independence was going to spread among the Maratha people and reinvigorate the dream of King Shivaji's self-rule.
Actually, that was his plan as Goa shared borders with the Maratha speaking land and when the people see his saffron flag carrying a golden Sun they were going to rise up in rebellion. Unfortunately, he was not able to dislodge the Portuguese from the coastal areas as they were hiding behind fortified positions and under the cover of artillery weapons. He could have taken them out but the number of casualties would be too high and would leave Goa vulnerable to a British attack.
Thankfully there were allies that he could count on and as per the instructions of the Orthodox Church, he had sneaked several of his men with Church officials in a Russian ship to speak in the Russian Senate on behalf of the people. The Church had further helped by smuggling in weapons and several intelligence officers into Goa to help in the war effort. The Church has also gathered evidence of atrocities committed by the Portuguese and British empire carefully recorded using cameras. All of this evidence has also been sent to be presented in the Russian senate and European media at large. All of this was shipped off to Russia along with a formal request for aid in supporting the formation of a democratic government and recognising said government.
He theorized if everything plays out well his men would make their appeal in the Russian senate and by that time he would shatter the British forces and link up with pro-independence groups in the North. The rest will be in the hands of fate.
XXXXXX RUSSIAN EMPIRE XXXXXX
The Russian Senate was abuzz with activity as a special session has been called by the Chancellor. The senate was dominated by the Progressive party at this time and was led by Khristina Verenich. There were two important events to be presented today and Khristina as the majority leader was asked by the Chancellor to ensure the session must achieve the strategic objectives set by his policy. She had yet to let down her mentor and she was not to do that now of all times.
"Senator Khristina Verenich you have the floor." The President of the house said
She took a deep breath and stood up from her seat and addressed the ruling body of the Empire
"Thank you, honourable president. I would like to draw the attention of the esteemed members of this house to the recently built Jewish temple and Orthodox Church in the city of Jerusalem. It was inaugurated by our Emperor at the Christmas Eve on the presence of our esteemed Chancellor." Khristina paused as the senate became filled with thunderous applause by her colleagues showing their support and she was happy to observe even her rival party members we're also supporting the event albeit passively
"It was after this event our beloved Emperor suggested to turn the Holy Land into a grand place of worship. The emperor wishes to build temples of other faiths in the Holy Land making the city of Jerusalem a safe haven for other faiths and a place to reserve different cultures of our world. So I am proposing the formation of a committee to study the possibility of creating such a grand city." She finished her proposal and sat down as the senate dissolved into murmur and shouting matches
"I second the motion." One of her colleagues supported and with a clear majority of the Progressive party the motion was passed easily
"I will appoint the members of the committee before the session is closed today. Now let's move on to the second order of business…" the President looked at her pointedly
"The second order of business is regarding a plea submitted to our Chancellor and Emperor for the formal recognition of Goa. The land in question is in British India which is under Portuguese control. In the last 8 months, the native population has pushed the Portuguese out of the mainland and has taken control. They have requested our aid in expelling the Portuguese occupation." Khristina informed the senate and the senators of opposition began to make a ruckus
"This is a reckless interference, Mr President. If we interfere in India in any way we will be in direct conflict with the British empire. This kind of reckless foreign adventurism will only lead to war." One of the senators of United Peoples Party argued and many voices joined in to support this point
"I am not proposing we take action against British India. What I am suggesting is taking action against the Portuguese forces in the coasts of Goa. We have all seen the actions of Belgium in Congo and the Portuguese are not far off the mark. I have proof." With that said Katherine and her fellow senators began to distribute all the records that have been collected by Russian agents detailing the cruel acts of Portuguese occupation. It had the intended effect as any opposition quieted themselves and she continued where she left off
"If the senate agrees we can give the Portuguese an ultimatum and our fleets on Oman coast can be silently used as a threat to make them come to the table. Everybody here knows that there has been persistent warnings and complaints from the Orthodox churches in Goa in the last few decades. It is time that we heed their call and liberate the natives from oppression." Katherine finished speaking and let the others handle the rest of the session. In the end after going to and forth the motion passed and the Chancellor could now work to make a foothold in India.
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"The Senate has agreed to my proposal. Now before we give an ultimatum to the Portuguese I want to know whether our forces are able to respond if necessary and take Goa by force?" Victor asked the Commander in chief of the Imperial Russian Navy
"We have the aircraft carrier Hannibal along with 4 destroyers and 2 battleships in Oman. Should Portugal refuse to heed the Empire's warning we will be able to launch an attack that will crush the Portuguese presence in Goa. Even if British forces intervene we can win a swift victory." General Alexander Sukhomlinov reported with confidence
"I hope it will not come to that. There are some other options available to me. The emperor as given permission for imposing sanctions on Portugal in case they reject our terms. If that fails to persuade them I need your men to be ready General. Can I count on the Imperial Navy?" Victor asked
"The Navy has kept Russia safe from Ottoman invasions all these years. The Navy is ready to punish Russia's enemies Chancellor." General Sukhomlinov promised
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The New York Times June 1922
"In a move that shook the British Empire and Portugal, the Russian Chancellor has given an ultimatum to Portugal to either leave Goa in India or surrender to the independence movement of the natives. This move comes after the revelations of gross violence and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated by Portuguese colonial forces as well as British Raj in the Indian subcontinent."
"Portugal is a proud European nation and will not be bullied by the Bear of Europe, says Prime Minister Francisco Cunha Leal."
Daily Herald June 192
"British Prime Minister Bonar Law calls for peace between Portugal and the Russian Empire."
"In a rapid turn of events, the native forces of Goa has decimated the British army that tried to launch an attack into the borders of Portuguese held Goa. The loss of life is estimated to be above 3000. While officials in the colonial office reports that there is no need for panic the fact of the matter is that there is a fear that another mutiny may be imminent. The close proximity of Goa to the Maratha speaking land is also a cause for concern for the Raj forces."
"Labour party leader Ramsay Macdonald blames Prime Minister Bonar Law and the Conservative Party's foreign policy for the recent hostile actions taken by the Russian Empire. Further explaining this matter the minority leader of the House of Commons had this to say,
'The foreign policy of the Conservative party is to stab in the back of one of our oldest and strongest allies. Instead of ensuring peace in Europe the Conservative government is interested in starving out Germany with huge debts that all of us know they can't pay. This will only lead to further conflicts and God forbid war in central Europe. This is why the Russian government has repeatedly asked France and Belgium to vacate the Ruhr which is outside the allied occupational area of Rhineland. In fact, several reports indicate there have been repeated killings of German civilians by French and Belgian armies. These actions will only incite more violence in the future and I don't want any more British citizens to lose their sons, fathers and brothers because of military adventures of France and Belgium. It is my hope that this government deal with our allies in good faith and honour the treaties signed to promote peace rather than court war. Our government have violated the agreement made with the Russians regarding Germany and the Russians, in turn, have violated the agreement in India. This time the people of Britain will know the truth rather than the lies the Conservative government fed us about German atrocities in Belgium to pursue the Great War. This time the people will reject the lies of Conservatives and embrace the truth.'
Prime Minister Bonar Law refused to comment on the ongoing struggle between London and Moscow."
Russia Today June 1922
"Chancellor Vasiliev has signed the orders to impose economic sanctions on Portugal until Portuguese forces stop the illegal occupation of Goa. Sources within the Russian government says as a first step all imports and exports from Portugal baring medical supplies are henceforth banned in the Russian empire until the crisis is resolved."
"The secretary-general of League of Nations Sir Eric Drummond has called the representatives of both Portugal and Russian Empire to resolve their issues peacefully."
Ego smiled broadly as he read the various news reports from local newspapers and foreign ones. He never envisioned things would go this way when he confronted Ashwathama in Goa but he was not complaining at the results. He was also curious what will happen in his old homeland now that there was a resurgent independence movement that was very different from what Gandhi led in his own world.
Frankly, he should have done something about his old homeland a little early in his learned opinion. The only reason that he didn't do anything was because he could not find anyone that had a chance of success in uniting the subcontinent. But now he didn't have to worry about Britain as that would be Ashwathama's job. He had very detailed plans for Europe and colonial powers have no future in Europe that he was building.
Ego could have simply unified entire Europe if he really wished but being an all-powerful godlike being made everything so simple and boring. That is why he decided to take the long route by slowly building up a base of power over many years. He had managed to build extensive contacts across the European continent and invested heavily in several pocket organizations that were sharpening their knives for a quick take over at the opportune moment. Even before the first World War he had fanned the idea of a United Europe and had a very dedicated following to this idea even though they were a minority. But after the first World War, this idea was gaining extensive traction among several individuals. In fact, the existence of this liberal faction helped to smooth over the formation of League of Nations.
It was thanks to Ego's extensive contacts and political manoeuvring that made it possible for this recent piece of news that had taken the French into a boiling rage. He sipped his lemon tea and began to read another prominent article.
Russia Today June 1922
"In a move that shook much of Europe Chancellor Victor Vasiliev and German Chancellor Joseph Virth have come to an agreement regarding the recent decision by the League of Nations to partition upper Silesia against the will of the majority of residents. The Russian chancellor has agreed to use his veto powers to block the move and also to extend a helping hand to Germany in the form of several trade concessions. Sources inside trade ministry confirm that Baltic Sea trade routes will be opened up to facilitate easy access for Germany and with reduced tariffs until the German economy is restored. This move comes right after the formation of the East European Economic Union between the Russian Empire, Serbia, Finland, Sweden, Hungary and Greece. Sources inside the Russian Senate indicates that Chancellor Vasiliev envisions that by helping Germany in time of her need will result in the entry of Germany into the union and perhaps heal the wounds left by the Great War.
There are rumours that the Senate is looking into pulling out of Rhineland occupation and engage in a more transparent way with Austria and Germany. Strangely enough the opposition leader Peter Khrushchev had this to say regarding the recent moves made by the Chancellor.
'I am happy that the Chancellor is taking a firm stand in this matter and withdraw the support to Poland. It is no secret that I have reservations against our relationship with Poland. It is well known that I oppose economic and infrastructural support that has been given to Poland after the war because I have doubts that the political elites of Poland have been funnelling the funds into their own pockets. This new stance of the Chancellor is the first step in the right direction.'
While foreign ministry insists that relations with Poland is strong there is no doubt that a certain coldness has seeped into the Polish-Russian diplomatic channels. This has been the case after a series of revelations hit the local media outlets of Poland about military generals and high ranking politicians owning large swaths of prime real estates in Britain. When confronted with these questions the Russian Chancellor had this to say,
'The decision to support Germany has no bearing on whatsoever with Russia's relationship with Poland. Having said that I can confirm that an investigation has been launched regarding the misappropriation of funds given by Russian Empire to Poland. As the saying goes 'Innocent until proven guilty' applies in this situation.
My decision to support Germany come from two factors. One is that the people of Silesia have voted in a clear majority to remain as part of Germany. The other fact is that taking Silesia away will destabilize the Republic government of Germany and put an unbearable strain on the German people. The actions of France and Belgium with British support will only push Europe into conflict in the future. I have no intention of being held responsible for such a travesty. So it is my hope that Germany remains stable and unified despite the illegal occupation of French and Belgian army in Ruhr.
Russia fought the German Reich in the Great War, not the German Republic. It is time for Western Allies to realise that the hatred they hold against the German Republic is undoing the hard earn peace in Europe. It is my humble request to our Western allies to embrace peace rather than fall prey to the curse of hatred. I hope that France sees the folly of its actions and open dialogue with Germany rather than use force and intimidation.'
It is no secret that the Chancellor was dissatisfied with the actions of his French and British counterparts after the conclusion of the Great War. But this is the first time Chancellor Vasiliev has openly taking a stand against the Western allies. This open declaration has once again brought the discussions about the Versailles treaty. Volga Germans are once again getting ready petition the Emperor and the Russian government to pull out from the Versailles treaty factoring the recent events.
No matter what we at Russia Today feels interesting times lay ahead of Europe and it is our hope that Europe remains in peace rather than revisit the times the likes if Great War again."
-Valeria Pamfilova
"Interesting times indeed." Ego smirked as he set the paper down and looked over the official paperwork for starting his own company named Chimera. Actually, he had bought off a factory that churned out automobile spare parts. He was just going to make some improvements and break into the automobile sector with a brand new car. It was not as simple as anyone thought as there was a need for a skilled workforce, tools, machines, an entirely new plant layout etc. This new project was going to make him a busy man and he loved it as his little political games on Earth was boring him to no end. Sometimes he cursed the one who sent him here for making him a Celestial. It was no fun when a snap of his fingers makes all his enemies disappear In an instant. This is the reason why he was taking things slowly but even that is getting a little boring. Maybe he should go play with the Kree or even the Shi'ar empire for some real fun.
